The Florida Film Festival takes over Maitland’s arthouse Enzian Theater and a big section of Regal Cinemas Winter Park from April 5 through 14. Every year, the festival offers new films for LGBT audiences. Beside the shorts Storm Out, Benjamin’s Flowers, Slash, and Social Butterfly, these two full-length documentaries will be in the competition:
I AM DIVINE: It’s astounding that this is the very first documentary completely committed to Divine. The big drag legend was featured in other docs, namely Divine Trash, about filmmaker John Waters. In the ’60s-’80s, the pair defined counterculture trash cinema. This loving doc focuses on the performer – from a working class kid to the international legend. Footage and interviews are pieces together with wit and pace. It’s a shame, though, that it took this long – 25 years after his death! In Tampa, can catch the film April 11 at Muvico Ybor. | l |
BIG JOY: THE ADVENTURES OF JAMES BROUGHTON. Broughton was an experimental poet, playwright, and filmmaker; his short 1967 film The Bed is still shown in film classes today. He had a child with film critic Pauline Kael, and was married to costume designer Suzanne Hart for 16 years. During that time, Broughton had love affairs with Kermit Sheets and Harry Hay. At 62, Broughton met 27-year-old filmmaker Joel Singer, and they were together until the poet died. Broughton helped start the Radical Faeries and The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. This documentary is a solid introduction to the fascinating life of this renaissance man.
More information is available at FloridaFilmFestival.com. | l |
THIS IS A CHILLING WORLD WHERE AN ISOLATED GIRL CAN HEAR, SEE AND FEEL SO MUCH MORE THAN NORMAL HUMANS. The filmmakers really know how to let this concept shape a film. Maybe they focused on that mood a little too much, to the detriment of fully developed characters or sound logic.
Because of her ability (or malady), Wasikowska shrinks from contact, both physical and emotional. She’s alone in this world, especially after her father dies in a fiery crash on her 18th birthday. A heretofore-unknown uncle (a very creepy Goode) shows up to comfort both the girl and her mother (Kidman). He also seems to understand Wasikowska’s torture, how it can twist a mind.
More atmosphere than action, more style than sense, the spooky thriller Stoker does have a couple reasons to recommend it. The literary references and the sly nod to vampirism as mental illness are thrilling. The representation of Wasikowska’s emotional state throughout is well executed.
The difficulty comes in trying to leap over two grave-deep plot holes. Also, the acting is mostly solid, though I’m very sick of Kidman’s red-eyed, sultry damsel in distress. She’s done this shtick before, and here it seems hollow and even lazy. The pace can be ridiculously self-indulgent, art for art’s sake.
I think the audience for this is horror lovers, people who adored the Swedish film Let the Right One In. I’m also thinking they expect more than just mood. | l |
IT TAKES A CERTAIN MAGIC TO CAPTIVATE AUDIENCES FOR TWO HOURS WITH A VAIN, STUPID, SELFISH CHARACTER. Burt Wonderstone doesn’t have it.
Carell was a kid who was picked on mercilessly. Then he found magic and a best friend (Buscemi). Their obsession with prestidigitation bloomed into a huge Las Vegas career. The only problem is that their act never changed, and now gross-out illusionist Carey is threatening to steal their thunder. The pressure starts to crack the famous friendship.
Sadly, this comedy lifts its basic plot from other movies with despicable, idiotic people. Think Anchorman, Talladega Nights, Stepbrothers, or a whole host of other Will Ferrell movies.
If the protagonist is so loathsome and shallow, something else has to hold our interests. Perhaps it could be the world of magicians, except that here that milieu is treated like simple charlatanism. Magic could make a very funny movie. Wonderstone only has half a dozen good jokes throughout the entire running time. Also, the characters aren’t terribly captivating or well defined, making us care even less.
I say this every time Hollywood creates one of these films: If you have to tell a story about someone disingenuous and dislikable, either make the character intriguing or offer a well-developed, surprising plot. Don’t just string together one sophomoric joke after another and then pretend you’re performing magic. | l |
